1988 Mercury Grand Marquis Reviews - Page 2 of 5

1988 Mercury Grand Marquis GS 5.0 Litre EFI from North America

Summary:

If you have a teen and wonder what to get for their 1st car, find one of the cars I mentioned.

Faults:

Drivers side mirror goes all directions except left.

Passenger side mirror got taken off by a Deer, so I replaced it with one from a 1985 Colony Park which doesn't move in any direction.

When I got the car, it had a lot of surface rust and a hole on the drivers side of the trunk. I sanded it down as best as I could, primed it, painted it, and filled in the hole with bond-o. Paint doesn't match exactly, but looks a lot better than it did.

Drivers side power lock doesn't work.

Only doors that lock are the backseat doors.

Heating elements in the rear window are almost all gone except for 3.

Front speakers are blown.

Air conditioner doesn't work.

Cruise control doesn't keep perfect speed. It tends to speed up 5 miles per hour (on flat ground) and slows back down. It also doesn't do well on hills. Slows down about 7 miles per hour before it shifts down to the next gear.

General Comments:

Other than all the things that have gone bad electronically, overall this car for me has been the most reliable car that a teenager could ask for. It's a nice ride, very comfortable seats and good suspension.

The Ford Crown Vic's, Lincoln Town car's, Mercury Grand Marquis', Mercury Colony Park's, Ford Thunder Bird's, Lincoln Mark 7's, and Lincoln Continentals from 1982 to 1991 all had the same engine, 5.0 liter 302 V8. They were a strong engine and could probably last for 300,000 miles or more and has plenty of power for this beast. If it can move a Colony Park without a problem, than you can imagine what it can do in a Thunder Bird. I have yet to have a problem with the engine except for maintenance and some small things that could be done at home.

Handling is alright, but be careful in the winter. I recommend putting some bags of sand or bricks in the trunk because you'll slip and slide.

5th May 2012, 10:52

Well I feel bad for the teen who gets stuck with a Grand Marquis that has had the crap beat out of it by somebody!! But if well taken care of, as most are except for some, they are a GREAT car for any teen. Being they are safe, dependable, and cheap!! Provided you don't abuse the car.

25th Sep 2012, 14:04

2nd Oct 2012, 21:09

Plenty of kids drive these old boats at my school. One of them owns a 1989 Town Car, which is for all intents and purposes the same car as the Grand Marquis. All the kids who own these cars get compliments and are among the "popular" crowd. So I guess the young people actually like these cars.

1988 Mercury Grand Marquis LS 302 cu in EFI from North America

Summary:

Great value, but not a performance car by any stretch of the imagination

Faults:

Stop light switch failed.

Check valve for air pump system rotted away.

Replaced exhaust pipe.

Replaced all shock absorbers.

Springs started to sag.

Rear main oil seal on engine started to leak.

Poor paint touch ups done by dealer started to rust.

General Comments:

A very reliable car, and despite it being smaller and lighter than the 1976 Grand Marquis I owned some years before the ride was excellent.

Plenty of room for 6 adult passengers and cavernous trunk. Great car for long trips very comfortable, quiet and smooth ride. Car proved to be reliable.

Achieved over 30 mpg on a long trip at 55 mph and the air conditioning off.

The overdrive automatic transmission was very reluctant to shift out of overdrive unless the accelerator would be very quickly floored, was not that great for traveling up grades. The car would have trouble maintaining its speed in overdrive, and the engine would over rev when out of overdrive.

Power was adequate from a dead stop acceleration, but really lacked power after 60 mph.

Brakes were excellent, but car tended to lean quite a bit on corners, but this is the price for the exceptional ride the car had.

Factory stereo was excellent.

An excellent value for the price paid used.

The only real drawback to this car was its tendency to very easily fishtail on slippery roads.